Customer Reviews
20s! - By: Ms. F. I. Macdonald, 16 Apr 2008 
i did like this! I reallly did, i bought it specificallly because the 1920s is the era that interests me the most & was expecting...well.. something else. Although not a fault of the actual film, i felt there weren't enough hints towards the jazz era, obviously there was the charleston & the gowns but i felt the conversation somewhat lacked the pizazz of what the epitome of the twenties was about. Maybe i'm too hard on the film, for i'm mighty glad to the person who decided to turn this story into a film as i had assumed by now that no one was reallly interested in creating a film based on such a long time ago for it is a very interesting case & never got much press at the time, although the crime was of great capacity. However i feel i am trying to experience a part of the 20s which is only in my head & maybe cannot actuallly be expressed on film! Great music though, they knew how to do it them!!!
Not as haunting as Kane - By: Ivon of Windermere, 23 Mar 2008 The basis of this film is that a death associated with a weekend cruise on William Randolph Hearst's yacht was a murder that was hushed up.
In many ways the film is excellently well-done to capture the period, & several of the actors are quite convincing. One of the main characters is Charlie Chaplin played in this case by Eddie Izzard. This is a difficult person to play because in some ways Chaplin is so well known, & Izzard does a credible job, but somehow it is difficult to reallly believe this is Chaplin. Maybe the flaw is that in the earlier scenes Izzard's movement is less fluid than you might expect Chaplin to be, though in some of the later scenes he seems to rectify this.
In my opinion the essential flaw of the movie that prevents it being 5 star, is the presentation as a straight-forward narrative of a murder & cover-up, rather than implying that there are different interpretations of what happened & emphasizing the lack of hard facts about the truth. It would have been much better to have left some ambiguity so each audience member has to make up their own mind. If the shooting scene had been omitted, I think the idea that there was reallly foul play would actuallly be more convincing.
The Cats Meow Indeed! - By: H. Thomas, 06 Jul 2007 
I LOVED this film! The detail is fantastic as is the acting. I was first interested in this film for Eddie Izzard, who definately gets to show off his acting ability & stays sexy even with brown contact lenses! Then I find that the legend that is Joanna Lumley is also in the film & as always she is a delight.
Im not usuallly the biggest fan of Kirsten Dunst but I reallly liked her in this film & alll the others actors do a great job. It definately feels like a group effort with no one person feeling like they are hogging the screen which is definately a plus.
Even if you are not familiar with the scandle that the story is based on you will still be able to enjoy this film & get a feel for the glamour & extravagance of the 1920's era hollywood.
Definately one to watch - just a great film.
I raise my paw to Cats Meow! - By: , 25 Jan 2006 This is a delightful film. It is based on the imagined solution to a real mystery set in California in the 1920's & is full of fine actors doing great character roles, but cast against their usual types. A stylish look at the self indulgent world of William Randolph Hearst & his mistress Marion Davies, this film manages to be sympathetic to the best in everyone & remorseless in exposing the worst. Thw twenties look great the yacht & the settings are well realised. This is a dark social comedy & well worth seeing.
Brilliant Film! - By: , 24 Jun 2005 I LOVED it! I enjoyed watching great actors, a good plot, fabulous costume & attention to detail & witty script. Watch the charades scene between Dunst & Izzard (I was strangely enticed by that scene - good chemistry) & Joanna Lumley is brilliant as always. Although on a downside, it took me a while to get used to the amount of fake tan, Eddie Izzard was sporting. But yet still strangely attractive..........
